I DO NOT OWN DEATH NOTE!

Yay...another chapter! Read and review!


Chapter 21 – Coming Home

Mello looked up at Whammy House as the gates swung open and Roger drove them through. It had been 10 days since Near was hurt, and they were finally bringing him home. He felt Near shiver slightly and turned his head to look at him, tucked under his arm. "Are you okay, Near?"

"I'm fine." He said it a little to quickly and Mello frowned when his hand that wasn't still in a cast pressed to his stomach.

Mello was worried but he didn't press the issue. Near had been nervous since the moment the night before when Dr. Smith had told them that he was well enough to go home the next day. Knowing Near, it was likely because they were going to have to sleep in separate rooms again. He didn't like the idea either. He loved sleeping with Near's body pressed against his. But Roger wasn't going to allow them to share a bed in the house. While they had been waiting for Dr. Smith to come with Near's discharge papers and such, Roger had talked to them about their relationship. He told them he wasn't going to stop them from doing what they wanted to do, for now, but he would be watching them closely. If he saw that others were finding out about their relationship, he would put a stop to it, even if it meant sending one of them away from the school.

Near tensed when Roger stopped the car. He finally looked out the windows and felt a sliver of fear run down his spine. This was where it happened. This was where he almost died. And now he was going to go back in. And he would have to be in that room, where it happened. He would have to be in there alone.

Roger came around the car and opened the door on Near's side. He would have to carry him, he wouldn't be able to walk up the stairs yet. He reached in to help Near out only to have the boy pull away sharply and tuck himself even further into Mello. Roger took a breath and knelt down so he could see the boys. Near was shivering and Mello looked worried. "Near. I know you are scared. But we need to go inside. This is your home. Mello will be with you. You will be safe."

Near buried his face again Mello's shoulder. "Not at night. I'll be alone."

Roger watched them for a moment as Mello closed his eyes and gently laid a hand on the back of Near's head. "I haven't told you yet, but now seems the best time. You wont be alone, Near. You and Mello are going to share a room. I was just going to move you into a new room because of what happened in the old one. But L suggested I put the two of you together. While I don't agree with his reasoning, I do agree that right now, you two need to share a room." Mello looked up at him and he smiled at the boy. "Near is not going to want to be alone. At least not until he is healed and feeling safe again. You are the only person he trusts. And the only person who currently knows how to take care of him. So that will be your responsibility, if you think you can handle it."

"Of course." Mello ran his hand down Near's back as he sat up. He had stopped shaking but when he looked up into Mello's eyes, the fear was still hovering there. Mello smiled at him and put his hands on the boys face. "It will be okay. I wont leave you alone."

Near turned to look at Roger. "Are you lying?"

"No, Near. I'm not lying to you. I've had your things moved to Mello's room. And I've had another bed brought into the room. Though I have no doubt the two of you will sleep in the same bed, there needs to be two to keep up the appearance that you are simply sharing a room." He stood again and held his arms out to Near. "Are you ready now?"

Nodding, Near moved across the car until Roger could lift him out. He didn't like being carried, but he really had to other choice. While he could walk now, Mello's room was on the third flood of the East wing. It was a bit of a walk from the front door of the house.

"Mello, get the bag of Near's things please." Roger closed the car door with his foot and waited for Mello to retrieve the bag and join him by the door. Near had started to shake again at being so far away from the other boy. But as soon as he walked up and touched Near's hair, the boy relaxed in his arms and even let his head fall against his shoulder, showing that he really was as tired as he looked.

The trip to Mello's room took longer then it shoulder have. Going up the stairs had brought sharp pains in Near's stomach, so Roger had to go slowly. When he finally lowered the boy into Mello's bed, he was sweating from the exertion and the pain. "Mello, get his pain pills out of the bag if you would."

Mello dug around in the bag and pulled out all of the pill bottles they had been sent home with. He lined them up on the nightstand that pulled out the paper with the medication schedule on it. "He can have one of the smaller ones now, but he cant have one of the bigger ones for another hour." He picked up his water glass from the nightstand and went into his bathroom to fill it with water. When he returned, Roger was carefully arranging the pillows on the bed to put Near into a slightly raised position. Mello shook out a pill and sat on the side of the bed. He put the pill in Near's mouth and helped him take a sip of water to swallow it. "Are you hungry? Dr. Smith said you should eat soon. Especially when you are going to take your next round of meds soon."

Near shook his head and tried to relax into the pillows. "I don't think I could eat right now. Maybe once the pill kicks in."

"I'll bring up some food for the two of you so you can eat when you want. Then I have some work I need to get done. Mello, come speak with me for a moment." Roger walked to the door and waited while Mello gave Near's hand a squeeze and walked to him. "You need to try to behave yourself while the two of you are alone in here. This isn't the hospital, no one will be checking up on you all the time, though I will stop by a few times a day to see how he is doing."

"Roger, Near is still hurting. Even if I wanted to, I still wouldn't touch him that way right now. And I know that is what you mean."

Roger put his hands on Mello's shoulders and leaned down to look him in the eye. "I know you love him. I don't doubt that. I'm just warning you to be careful. I want you to keep the door locked. When I need to come in, I will unlock it myself. People will probably be wanting to stop by to get a look at Near. They have no reason to do so other then curiosity. So keep the door locked and don't answer a knock on the door unless it is an adult. I have told the teachers that Near will be here and that I want him to rest, and visitors will make it hard for him to do so. I told them to leave him be for today, but that they could stop by tomorrow to see him as long as it was only for a short time and that they only come by once until he is better. They also know that if you answer the door and tell them that Near isn't up for visitors that they are to listen to you, because you are going to be the one talking care of him."

"I want to take care of him. I can do that much. Besides," Mello looked over his shoulder to see that Near had his eyes closed and was breathing easier. "I doubt he will let anyone else take care of him."

"Yes, I am aware of that." Roger straightened out and put a hand on top of Mello's head, ruffling his hair. He laughed softly at the look the boy gave him as he straightened his hair back out. "Be gentle with him. But make sure he knows that he is safe here."

Mello glanced back again at Near before crooking his finger at Roger until he bent over again. Mello put his lips close to the mans ear and asked softly, "Please make sure Matt stays away from here. I don't want him any more upset then he already is."

Roger smiled and hugged the boy to him. Mello stiffened slightly, then relaxed in his arms and let his forehead rest against his shoulder. He gently stroked the boys back and just held him for a while. He had known that he needed to be held, he just didn't know that he would be as receptive to it. When Mello took a deep breath and lifted his head, Roger let him go and gave him a gentle smile. "Matt is being confined to his room. He doesn't know that you and Near are back yet, but I will be speaking with him later today. Don't worry about him. He will not be bothering you."

"Okay. Thank you." Mello took another deep breath and took a step away from Roger. "I'll make sure he eats when you bring up some food."

"Good." Roger straightened again and opened the door. "Lock this when I leave." When Mello nodded he stepped out and closed the door behind him. He waited until he heard the lock turn before he made his way down the hall and headed for the kitchen.

Mello went back to the bed and sat down again. He touched Near's face and his eyes fluttered open to look up at him. "Feeling better?"

Near nodded and reached up to push Mello's hair out of his face. "Those pills work fast. But I think part of it is that I am laying down again." He smiled and ran his fingers over Mello's lips. "I was thinking about the first time I laid in this bed."

Mello felt himself blush and he turned his head to kiss the palm of Near's hand. "We cant do that again for a while. You are to hurt, and I don't want to cause you pain."

Near sighed and lat his hand fall. "I know."

The strain in his voice made Mello lift his eyes to his face. There were tears on his cheeks and he turned his face away when he noticed Mello looking at him. "What's wrong, Near?"

"I'm hurt. I cant be with you the way I want to right now." His breath hitched and he tried to roll onto his side but Mello's hands kept him on his back. "Are you going to leave me?"

"What would make you even think that, Near? I have been at your side this whole time." Mello laid next to Near and pulled the smaller boy against him, resting his head on his shoulder so he could lay a gentle kiss against his neck.

"I'm not in the hospital anymore. We're home now. You can do other things besides sitting with me all day."

"Near. I don't want to do anything else. You stop thinking that right now. Because I'm not leaving you." He brushed his lips against Near's neck and kicked his shoes off so he could wind their legs together. "I don't have to be careful about how I lay with you anymore. We are alone. The door is locked. I can hold you how I really want to hold you." He gently rolled Near over until he was on his side, facing him. He wound his legs through Near's, put an arm around his chest, and closed his eyes as his tucked his head under Near's chin. "I love you, Near. So much. I'm not leaving this room until you are well enough to leave it with me. I'm not going to leave you alone for even a minute. I'm going to be right here. With you."

Near shivered softly and allowed his body to finally relax for the first time since leaving the hospital. "I love you, too, Mello." He let his body melt into Mello's and rested his cheek against the top of his head. He could feel Mello's body slowly relaxing against his. "You're tired. You haven't really slept have you?"

"No, not really. I hate hospitals. They took you for so many scans and tests that every time I fell asleep I was afraid I would wake up and you wouldn't be there, and I wouldn't know where you were."

"We aren't in the hospital anymore. I'm not going anywhere. Even if I wanted to, I cant move around very well right now. You should sleep."

"I cant. What if you need me?"

"My body is wrapped around yours. If I need something, I will just wake you up."

Mello lifted his arms and set the alarm on his watch. "If that goes off and doesn't wake me up, make me get up. You need your pills in an hour."

"I'm not very tired right now. The pain pill helped. And I'm comfortable now." Near kissed Mello's cheek and let out a sigh of pure contentment. "Sleep, Mello."

"Okay." His voice was so soft Near could barely hear him. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep.

Near was watching the way Mello's hair fell through his fingers when he heard the lock turn. He looked over to see Roger's back come into the room first, followed by the cart with a TV on it that he was pulling.

Roger closed the door and turned to see that Near had his finger pressed to his lips. Roger smiled at him and nodded before taking down the tray that was sitting on top of the TV and setting it on the table in front of the windows. He sat at the foot of the bed and looked the boys over. Mello was fast asleep with his head on Near's chest. They both looked very comfortable wrapped around each other the way they were.

"Are you feeling better?" Roger whispered so he wouldn't wake Mello.

"Yes." Near whispered back and gave Roger a small smile. "I'm a little cold though. But I don't want to wake him up."

Roger stood and moved to Mello's closet. He pulled down one of the blankets Mello had on the top shelf and gently laid it over the boys. "Do you want me to set the TV up for you?"

"No, thank you. I don't want him to wake up until he needs to. He is really tired, Roger."

"I know. He has been very worried about you. I'll leave you two alone now. But make sure you wake him up when you need to take you pills. You have to take them when you are supposed to. You don't want to get an infection. Okay?"

"I will. He set the alarm on his watch. I don't want to wake him up, but I will. Thank you for the food, Roger. And the TV."

"Just get some rest. Both of you. And make sure you eat when he wakes up to give you your pills. Let him know I brought the food."

"I will." Near watched Roger leave and breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the lock tumble over. He settled himself back into the pillows and continued to watch Mello sleep.